First Sermon

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Supplication: The Best of ALL DEVOTIONAL ACTS and the Weapon of True Believers

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings be upon our master, Abu’l-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his immaculate Household.

Deeds Are Evaluated According to their Results and Outcomes

Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

“He who would like to know whether his (ritual) prayer has been accepted or not, should consider whether this prayer has or has not kept him away from indecency and evil, because as much as the prayer keeps away from so, it will be accepted.”

The Imam has of course concluded this saying from the following Quranic verse:

“Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book and keep up prayer. Surely, prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil. And certainly, the remembrance of Allah is the greatest; and Allah knows what you do. (29/45)”

The Messenger of God is likewise reported to have said:

“He whose prayer does not keep him away from indecency and evil will increase nothing but more aloofness from God.”

It is also reported that a young man used to follow the Holy Prophet in the congregational prayers but, at the same time, he still committed indecencies. When the Holy Prophet was informed about this, he commented:

“One day, his prayer will keep him away from committing such deeds.”

From this introduction, we conclude that the value of any act is evaluated according to the purpose for which it has been legislated. Similarly, the value of each deed increases as much as it is done excellently and to the extent of the end results that it achieves. In other words, the value of any deed follows the value of its doer, since deeds in themselves are valueless. Supporting this fact, Imam ‘Ali is reported to have said:

“The worth of every individual is by his attainments.”

Attainment of Piety is the Purpose of Making Religious Duties

A deep investigation of the logics for the religious duties and devotional acts shows that the purpose behind them is to attain the degree of piety (i.e. guarding oneself against evil), to remember God the Almighty, and to fear Him in all open and secrets deeds. The previously mentioned purpose of performing the ritual prayers is a proof of this claim. About the ritual fasting, the Holy Quran says:

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may be pious. (2/183)”

About the logic for offering an animal by those who perform the ritual pilgrimage (hajj), the Holy Quran says:

“There does not reach Allah their flesh nor their blood, but to Him is acceptable the piety on your part. (22/37)

About the totality of the devotional rites, the Holy Quran says:

“Whoever respects the signs of Allah, this surely is the outcome of the piety of hearts. (22/32)”

Even in the laws of transactions, the Almighty reminds His servants of piety. For instance, in the twelve-verse Surah (i.e. chapter) al-Talaq (Divorce), the word ‘piety’ is repeated five times.

This concentration on piety is on account of the fact that piety is the best means of attaining self-perfection, triumph, and success. In this regard, the Holy Quran says:

“Make provision, for surely the best of provision is piety, and be careful of your duty to Me, O men of understanding. (2/197)”

On another occasion, it reads:

“Surely, Allah is with those who guard against evil and those who act righteously to others. (16/128)”

Because all deeds are evaluated according to their results and outcomes, the Holy Quran further says:

“The end is for the pious ones. (7/128)”

Day of ‘Arafah: The Repentance Day

Yesterday was the day of ‘Arafah; a day of praying, repentance, and imploration for forgiveness. If we would like to know whether we were accepted by God yesterday and our supplications were responded and we were included with the people of obedience to Him, then it is necessary that the outcomes of yesterday leave bearings on our behaviors today and it is necessary that we regret the past deeds of us, which were incompatible with the items of obedience to the Almighty. We are also required to determine not to commit any actions that are unacceptable by the Lord anymore, to restore all things that we have gained or used unfairly to their owners, to ask those whom we have treated unjustly to forgive us, and to open a new blank sheet of deeds, depending upon the grace of the Almighty.

Supplication is one of the means of attaining piety, achieving all hopes, and meeting all needs. In this respect, the Holy Quran says:

“Your Lord says: Call on Me; I will answer your prayer. (40/60)”

“When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close to them: I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way. (2/186)”

Explaining this holy verse: “What Allah out of his Mercy bestows on mankind, there is none can withhold, (35/2)” Imam al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

“This is the supplicatory prayer.”

Supplication: The Easiest Means to the Greatest Treasury

Dear brothers,

A fact we are inattentive of is that we do possess the means, which opens all the hoards of God’s mercy that encompasses all things. This means is the supplicatory prayer. Imagine that if one of you has in his had a means taking him to a senior official of big influence and power, he will definitely take very much care to keep this means operative and usable. Now, we have in our hands a very easy means that takes us to the greatest treasuries of the earth and the heavens. This means is our supplicatory prayers. Nevertheless, we are not making use of it.

In this respect, Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Hussein al-Sajjad says:

“Were any creature himself to direct another creature to the like of that to which You Yourself has directed Your servants, he would be described by beneficence, qualified by kindness, and praised by every tongue. So, to You belongs praise as long as there is found a way to praise You and as long as there remains for praising words by which You may be praised and meanings which may be spent in praise!”()

Imam al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

“Supplicate God as much as you can, for your supplicatory prayers are the key to all favors, success, and need. What is with God cannot be achieved by any means other than prayer and any door that is knocked very often will sooner or later open up to the one knocking.”

Supplication (du‘a') occupies a large area of importance in the Holy Quran and the traditions reported from the Ahl al-Bayt (i.e. the Holy Prophet’s infallible Household). In this respect, Imam al-Baqir is authentically reported to have said:

About the exegesis of this holy verse: “Surely, those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation, (40/60)” serving the Almighty intended in this verse is supplication. Moreover, the best of all worships is supplication.

Confirming this fact, the aforementioned holy verse begins with this statement: “Your Lord says: ‘Call on Me; I will answer your prayer.’”

About this holy verse: “Abraham was surely most tender-hearted, forbearing, (9/114)” Imam al-Baqir is reported to have explained the word ‘tender-hearted’ into ‘very much suppliant.’

Imam al-Sadiq is reported to have said that Imam ‘Ali was very much suppliant.

The Holy Quran says:

“Say: My Lord would not care for you were it not for your prayer; but you have indeed rejected (the truth); so, that which shall cleave shall come. (25/77)”

“Ask Allah of His grace; surely, Allah knows all things. (4/32)”

Supplicating for Each and Every Object

We must supplicate the Almighty for each and every issue, no matter how trivial it may be. As a matter of fact, in every single moment of our lives, with every mouthful of air, and with every twinkle of our eyes, we are in desperate need for the Almighty Who is, on the contrary, completely self-sufficient above any need of the worlds. Therefore, we must never stop turning to Him in every matter, even if we believe this matter to be too trivial and too accessible to need supplication. In this regard, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said:

“Pray to God, the Almighty and All-majestic, for whatever you need, including the strap of your sandals, because if He does not make it easy, it shall never be easy to get.”

“You should pray to your Lord for all of your needs including amending the strap of your sandals when it is cut off.”

“May I guide you to a weapon that will save you from your enemies and increase your means of living? … Pray and plead before Allah for help night and day, for prayer is the weapon of believing people.”

Imam Musa al-Kazhim is reported to have been asked to comment on this famous saying: “For every malady, there is remedy.” He thus said,

“For every malady, there is a supplicatory prayer. When the ailed is inspired to utter the supplicatory prayer, this means that permission of healing has been issued for him.”

Imam al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

“Adhere to supplication, because you cannot find any means of seeking nearness to God like it. Do not refrain from supplicating Him because of the insignificance of the issue you want to ask for, because the committer of insignificance sins is identically the committer of major sins.”

Supplicating Under All Circumstances

Supplication is not dedicated to certain conditions; rather, it must be uttered under all circumstances, including times of luxury and opulence. However, it becomes more required in times of hardship and tribulation. Abu-Wallad, one of the trustworthy companions of Imam Musa al-Kazhim, reports the following:

In the midst of the harshest circumstances that were imposed upon the Shi‘ah by the ‘Abbasid ruler, al-Mansur, after the martyrdom of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq and the massacres to which his partisans were exposed by this tyrant ruler, I visited Imam al-Kazhim in Medina, since I had something to hand over to him. After I had given him that thing, he, instructing me, said:

“Convey this to your companions and say to them: Fear God the Almighty and All-majestic, because you are under the power of a tyrant; that is al-Mansur al-Dawaniqi.() So, hold back your tongues, fear for yourselves, fend off whatever you find dangerous for us, and keep up supplicating. Verily, supplication and imploration to God repel affliction even if it has been already decided and nothing has remained but putting it into effect. Therefore, beseech earnestly so that God saves you from afflictions.”

Abu-Wallad commented: When I conveyed this instruction to my companions, they carried it out and invoked God’s curse upon the tyrannical ruler. That very year, al-Mansur left to Mecca and died at Bi'r-Maymun, a region near Mecca, before he could perform the rituals of the Pilgrimage. Thus, God saved us from his troubles. In the same year too, I went on the ritual pilgrimage and visited Imam al-Kazhim who said to me:

“O Abu-Wallad, what do you think about the effect of what I have ordered you to do and the outcome of the invocation of God’s curse upon al-Dawaniqi that I have urged you to do? O Abu-Wallad, whenever a hardship afflicts a faithful servant (of God) and God inspires him/her to implore for deliverance, this means that the removal of this hardship is very imminent. Similarly, whenever a hardship afflicts a faithful servant but he/she desists from imploring for deliverance, this means that the hardship will last for long time. Therefore, whenever you are afflicted with a hardship, you should keep on imploring God for deliverance.”

About the famous supplicatory prayer that begins with this statement: “O He through whom the knots of detested things are untied,” which is known as Du‘a' al-Amn (Supplication for Security) and is one of the supplications of al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah (supplicatory prayers of Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Hussein al-Sajjad), Imam al-Hadi is reported to have said:

“The descendants of Muhammad, all of them, supplicate God with these words whenever they anticipate an ordeal, prevalence of an enemy, proximity of poverty, or a state of depression... etc.”

Supplication Stops Despair and Frustration

To help man not to fall victim to despair, dejection, surrender, and frustration that arises from inability to achieve one’s aim, the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt have drawn the attentions to the fact that supplication is the most successful means of change, even if the matter has been forcefully predetermined and even if it is very difficult to change. In this respect, Imam al-Sadiq is reported to have said:

“Always pray God and do not consider the matter to have come to an end. There is a rank with God the Almighty that cannot be attained except by imploring Him. If a servant shuts up his mouth and does not pray for anything, he will not be given anything. Therefore, always pray so that you will be given. Verily, a door that is always knocked will be sooner or later opened for the knocker.”

On another occasion, Imam al-Sadiq has said:

“Supplicatory prayer repeals predetermination and severs it as threads are incised even though it (threads) may have been coiled and knotted extremely strong and solid.”

Imam Ali, the Leader of the Faithful, says:

“The reason for the removal of any grace or luxury of any people is surely the commitment of sins. God is not unfair to the servants. Had they supplicated to God, their graces would not have been removed. Had they proceeded to God sincerely and intentionally without showing slowdown or excess, God would have certainly saved them from misfortunes and given them back what they had lost.”

Circumstances Under Which Supplications Are Responded

Undoubtedly, not every lolling of the tongue is considered supplication; rather, there must be certain circumstances under which supplications are responded. It is reported that one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq said to him, “In fact, there are two verses in the Book of God that I cannot find in reality although I am seeking them.”

“What are they?” asked the Imam.

“One of them is this: ‘Call upon Me; I will answer your prayers.’ Although we are calling upon Him, we cannot find response!” said the man.

“Do you thing that God may break His word?” asked the Imam.

“No, I do not,” answered the man.

“What is the reason, then?” asked the Imam.

“I really do not know,” answered the man.

“Well,” said the Imam, “I will tell you: Whoever obeys God in whatever He has commanded and then prays to Him the way prayer should be done, his prayers will be definitely responded by Him.”

“What is the way of prayer?” asked the man.

The Imam answered, “Begin your prayers with praising God, recalling His bounties with you, thanking Him, invoking His blessings upon the Holy Prophet, and recalling and confessing your sins. Then, implore Him for protection against the consequences of these sins. This is the way of praying.”

Then, the Imam asked, “What is the other verse?”

“The other is this: ‘He will replace whatever you spend for His cause and He is the Best Provider of sustenance.’ Although I always spend for His cause, I do not see any replacement,” said the man.

“Do you thing that God may break His word?” asked the Imam.

“No, I do not,” answered the man.

“What is the reason, then?” asked the Imam.

“I really do not know,” answered the man.

“Well,” said the Imam, “If any one of you earns something in lawful ways and spends it in a lawful way, God will then exceed in reward every single dirham (unit of money) he/she spends.”

To avoid any misunderstanding, by saying that there are certain conditions without the meeting of which prayers are not responded, we do not mean to say that the generosity of the Almighty is restricted or finite, or that He has stipulated certain conditions for His donations. In fact, all His graces are considered favors He is doing to all of His creatures, including those who do not deserve them. In one of the supplicatory prayers within the devotional acts in the month of Rajab, a statement reads:

“O He Who answers him who begs Him; O He Who gives those who do not ask Him and do not even recognize Him, out of His kindness and mercifulness…”

In natural life, human beings whom are characterized by generosity do not specify any condition as recompense of their donations. Therefore, it is impossible for the All-generous Lord to specify any condition for His donations; rather, He grants every being liberally and without condition.

In his famous supplicatory prayer on the ‘Arafah Day, Imam al-Hussein says:

Just like generosity, all the Attributes of God the Almighty are too holy to require causes, because they are the same as His Essence; therefore, it is impossible that His generosity requires a cause arising from His creatures.

The point is that the Holy Imams, by specifying certain conditions for the response of prayers, only intend to educate and bring people into self-perfection so that they (i.e. people) will become fortunate, good servants of the Almighty in a sufficient amount, and worth receiving the divine emanations.

Taking pride in this servitude, Imam ‘Ali says:

“O my God: To be a servant of You is the ultimate of my honor; and Your being my Lord is the ultimate of my pride. Since You are as exactly as I want (You to be), please make me as exactly as You want (me to be).”

These circumstances under which prayers are responded can be deduced from the discourses of the Holy Prophet and Imams:

Some of these circumstances are relating to time. In other words, there are certain times at which prayers are responded, such as Thursday nights, Fridays, the time between dawn and morning, midday, and feast days, like this day (i.e. the ‘Id al-Adha Day) as well as other feast days mentioned in the books of recommended and desirable devotional acts.

Other circumstances are relating to places; that is, there are certain places in which prayers are responded, such as the shrines of the Holy Infallibles (ma‘sumin: the Holy Prophet, Lady Fatimah, and the Twelve Imams), mosques, especially the four mosques (i.e. the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the Furthest Mosque of Jerusalem, and al-Kufah Mosque), the graves of the suppliant’s parents, and the like places.

Other circumstances are relating to events; that is, there are certain events during which prayers are responded, such as rainfall, collective supplicatory prayers, and prayers for the good of others.

Other circumstances are relating to personal states of the suppliant, such as:

1. when the suppliant is ceremonially pure,

2. when the suppliant is in the state of prostration before the Almighty,

3. when the supplication is uttered immediately after offering or performing prayers, especially the obligatory ritual prayers, because for every faithful believer, there is a responded supplication after each obligatory prayer,

4. when a supplication is begun with words of praise, glorification, thanks to the Almighty, invocation of His blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his immaculate Household, confession of the committed sins, and imploration for divine forgiveness of these sins,

5. when a suppliant knows what he/she is saying, but does not supplicate inattentively and absentmindedly,

6. when a suppliant beseeches God ardently and earnestly and does not become weary of beseeching,

7. when a suppliant beseeches God as if he/she has no other means at all,

8. when a suppliant has full faith that his/her supplication will be surely responded, and when the response is delayed, he/she believes that this delay is for his/her good,

9. when a suppliant begins his/her prayer with imploring God for forgiveness, mercy, and response of requests for his/her brethren-in-faith, and

10. when a suppliant asks others to pray to God for him/her,() especially the just leaders and the parents.

Among the objects of pride for the partisans (i.e. Shi‘ah) of the Ahl al-Bayt are the abundant and bless giving-outs of supplicatory prayers issued by them and covering all fields of life. Had they not taught us how to pray to God and how to stand before Him in imploration, we would not have learnt how to talk to our Lord and what the duties of servitude of Him are.

These supplicatory prayers comprise the most sublime significances of recognition of God, the highest moral standards, the best of human relations, and the most profound fields of knowledge that cannot be obtained from any other source than the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt. For those who ask for proofs of this fact, they may kindly study carefully the forms of supplicatory prayers that are reported from the Holy Prophet, Imam ‘Ali, Imam al-Hussein, and Imam al-Sajjad. Among these are certain supplicatory prayers the Holy Imams instructed us to say repeatedly and regularly, such as Du‘a' Kumayl, Du‘a' al-Sabah, the Confidential Prayer of Sha‘ban (al-munajat al-sha‘baniyyah), and Imam al-Hussein’s supplication on ‘Arafah Day.

Advantages of Supplicating

The reported forms of supplicatory prayers are recommended to be frequently repeated not only because this is a sort of worship, or even the best of all worships, or because their recitations bring about a great reward, but also in order to furnish ourselves with the fields of knowledge and information mentioned therein, expose ourselves to the divine gifts and graces these supplicatory prayers teach us to ask from the Lord, and identify the solutions to all of our mental, social, intellectual, doctrinal, ethical, and even political and economical problems and crises.

In brief, we are required to pray to God as frequently as possible in every small and big issue and to work towards availing ourselves with the conditions of response of our supplications, which are in fact available and accessible. The easiest of these conditions is that we must not finish our obligatory ritual prayers before we recite, after accomplishment, the famous litany known as Tasbih al-Zahra'() and do the famous prostration of thanking God (known as sajdat alshurk). Following this, we should repeat the phrase ‘ya-arhama’l-rahimin (O Most merciful of all those who show mercy)’ seven times, invoke God’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his immaculate Household, implore Him for forgiveness of all wrongdoings we have committed, beseech Him to help us stop committing any further wrongdoing, pray Him for the good of our brothers and sisters-in-faith, pray Him to grant them all their general and private requests, and pray Him to grant us our requests.

It is better that we participate in the collective supplications in mosques and after the congregational prayers. Once we do, we will meet all the requirements of response of prayers.

“O Allah, please send blessings upon Muhammad and upon his Household with a blessing no one has strength to count but You, and associate us with the most righteous of Your faithful servants who supplicate You today, O Lord of the worlds. Please, forgive them and us! Surely, You are powerful over everything. O Allah, toward You I aim with my need and before You I set my poverty, my neediness, and my misery, for I have more trust in Your forgiveness and Your mercy than in my own works. Your forgiveness and Your mercy are vaster than my sins. So, bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, and attend to the accomplishment of every need of mine through Your power over it, its easiness for You, my poverty toward You, and Your freedom from need for me! I have come upon no good whatsoever unless through You, no one other than You has turned any evil away from me, and I have hope in none but You for my affair in the next world and in this world.”

Finally, the best and most perfect prayer is that we pray God to gather all items of goodness to our master, Imam al-Mahdi, the Patron of the Age (May God accept our souls are ransoms for him).

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